President Peter Mutharika has ordered a thorough investigation into allegations that parents and village elders were handing over girls, as younger as 12 to sleep with 40 year old Eric Aniva who has since been arrested.

From left to right: Aniva, Fanny with their youngest child, Fanny’s sister and a former client

Aniva, in his own confession to BBC and other local media organisations, said he had slept with 104 young girls ranging from the age of 12 to 18 and widows soon after the death of their husbands in a bizarre cleansing initiation ceremonies.

I agree with those who contend that we didn’t have to wait until the story came out on BBC. Every adult Malawian knows of the existence of these practices not just in Nsanje, but other districts as well. Is there anyone out there who has never held of Kuchotsa fumbi, Bulangete la Mfumu, as well as cultures where parents pay back loans by giving their young girls to the lender? Our own media have covered these stories many times. But as a country, we don’t seem to have a strategy for solving any problem decisively. Instead, we take piecemeal and… Read more »

some progress has been made. Bravo to the president BUT it does not make any sense to me that this hyena practice has been there for very long and the president is saying he is disturbed. Is he disturbed because the BBC has disclosed the practice to the world or he is disturbed because he did not know about this practice? – See more at: http://www.nyasatimes.com/114244-2/#sthash.LAcxTTNq.dpuf

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3 years ago

Guest

Ine

More questions to this Sad story:
1. Why did it take BBC reporter to bring this out..
2. Nsanje is flooded with with NGOs; what development activities are they doing
Eric is HIV positive and Slept with atleast 104 women and girls; there is a saying that goes ‘educating a girl child is educating entire nation; what if ‘Spoiling a girl Child….? I think this is more than Terrorism and more than Gun war. Malawi’s intelligence system (if at all exists) needs to be shaken.
This story to me only appears as a tip of ice mountain; Mmalawi muno mukuchitika zambiri.

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3 years ago

Guest

Harawara

This matter is bigger that it appears. Where were the traditional leaders and why could they not stop the monster? The Village knew what Aniva was doing and possibly he/she chose him to be carrying out the “purification exercise”. The society allowed Aniva to be doing it without shame and remorse. The society is responsible too. The message against harmful traditional practices has gone loud and clear across the Republic and yet we continue hearing horrific stories such as these. There are many projects in the country addressing such practices and their evaluation reports cheat us that behaviours have improved… Read more »

I bet, you are going to arrest the whole village. The chief inclusive and the T/A. Because these are said to be custodians of our culture in Malawi. DCz may even have the knowledge of what was happening as well.

Lets see who is a saint here, because even your traditional dances abuse of girls.